Pivotal connection between headgear and face shield



June 5, 1962 3,037,236

PIVOTAL CONNECTION BETWEEN HEADGEAR AND FACE SHIELD J. c. MILLER Filed April 15. 1959 INVENTOR. 470194 c. M/Mfl? United States Patent 3,037,236 PIVOTAL CONNECTIGN EEETWEEN HEADGEAR AND FAiCPrl SHEELD John C. Miller, Pittsburgh, Pa, assignor to Mine Safety Appliances Company, Pittsburgh, Pa, a corporation of Pennsylvania Filed Apr. 13, 1959, Ser. No. 806,160 Claims. (Cl. 16-44%) This invention relates to pivotal connections or joints that attach face shields and the like to headgear.

it is among the objects of this invention to provide such a connection, to which a face or eye shield can be quickly and easily attached and from which it can readily be removed, which permits such a shield to be easily attached to and removed from supportin headgear, without removing the latter from the head, which automatically locks the shield to the headgear when they are connected, which permits the shield to be swung up from in front of the face of the wearer, and which is strong and durable.

In accordance with this invention a bracket projects outward from each side of suitable headgear and is provided with a socket that opens upwardly as well as at its outer end. Rcrnovably seated in each socket is a stationary plug that projects from the outer end of the socket. A pin is rotatably mounted in each plug, from the outer end of which it projects. Slidably mounted on each pin is a friction member that engages the outer end of the adjoining plug. The friction members on the two pins are rotatable with them and are formed for connection in fixed position to the opposite sides of a shield that straddies the front of the headgear. Knobs, which are screwed onto the outer ends of the pins, press the shield against the friction members to press them in turn against the plugs and thereby restrain turning of the friction members. To lock the plugs in the brackets, the side walls of each socket have opposed inwardly projecting portions that are separated by a space slightly narrower than the underlying portion of the plug in the socket. The brackets have sufficient flexibility to allow the plugs to be forced up between their projecting portions in order to remove the plugs from the sockets.

The preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary side view of a combination welders face shield and headgear;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged plan view of one of my pivotal connections, with part of it broken away in section;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged vertical section taken on the line IIIIII of FIG. 1, with parts of the connection shown in elevation; and

FIGS. 4, 5 and 6 are cross sections taken on the lines lV-IV, V-V and VIVI, respectively, of FIG. 3.

Referring to FIG. 1 of the drawings, the headgear 1 may be any suitable member, such as a helmet, a rigid cap or a head-encircling band supported by straps crossing the head, The shield Z likewise may take difierent forms and protect the entire face, or only part of its as goggles do. For illustrative purposes only, a welders face shield is shown. It is curved transversely and has substantially parallel rear marginal portions straddling the hat 1. As is the usual practice, these marginal portions are pivotally connected to opposite sides of the hat so that the shield will be supported by it and can be swung up away from the face of the wearer when desired.

Each of the two pivotal joints connecting the shield to the hat includes a bracket 3' shaped to fit flat against the adjoining side of the hat, to which it is secured by means of screws 4 extending through the side wall of the hat and into opposite ends of the bracket. The bracket is made of a material that will permit it to have slight flexibility. A synthetic plastic, such as nylon, is suitable. Midway between its ends, the bracket is provided with a recess that forms a socket 5 that opens upwardly and also has an open outer end. Mounted in this socket is a plug 6 that projects from the outer end of the socket and has a passage 7 extending through it from its inner to its outer end. The inner end of this passage is enlarged to receive the head 8 of a pin rotatably mounted in the plug and projecting from its outer end. The projecting portion of the pin preferably is reduced in diameter and includes a square inner portion and a threaded circular outer end it Fitting over the square portion 9 of each pin is a friction member 11 that resembles a washer. The washer can slide lengthwise of the pin but of course cannot rotate around it. The outer face of the washer is formed for connection in fixed position to the adjoining overlapping side of the face shield. For this purpose, the central portion 12 of the washer preferably is square and projects out through a square hole in the face shield. To hold the washer and shield together, a knob 13 is screwed onto the outer end of the pin. The knob engages the shield around the square portion of the washer and presses the shield inward against the body of the washer behind the shield. This pressure also forces the washer tightly against the outer end of plug 6. By adjusting the knobs to obtain the correct pressure, the shield can be swung up and down and will remain in any desired position due to the friction between the washers and the plugs and between the heads 8 of the pins and the plugs.

The inner end portion of each socket 5 preferably has substantially parallel sides as shown in FIG. 6, and the portion of plug 6 between those sides conforms to the shape of that portion of the socket. Also, it is desirable that this portion of the socket be connected to the outer portion by upright shoulders 15 (FIG. 2) facing the headgear, and that the plug be provided with outwardly facing shoulders 16 (FIG. 3) engaging the bracket shoulders to prevent the plug from moving lengthwise in the socket. The lower portion of the socket between its shoulders and its outer end preferably has a cylindrical wall extending about 240 around the socket. The portion of the plug in this part of the socket is curved to fit the cylindrical wall, but the part of the plug that projects from the end of the socket is completely cylindrical.

At the upper part of the cylindrical portion of each socket, its side walls have inwardly projecting portions 17 that overlie the plug only slightly, but sufliciently to prevent the plug during normal use from accidentally coming out of the top of the socket. Nevertheless, if the plugs are pushed upward with sufiicient force they will cause the brackets to flex sufficiently to spread the overlying portions 17 farther apart and thereby allow the plugs to be lifted out of the sockets.

It will be seen that with this invention the shield can be quickly disconnected from the headgear by simply pushing plugs 6 up out of the bracket sockets. It can be reattached just as easily. Also, the shield can be disconnected from the pivotal connections completely by merely unscrewing knobs l3 and removing the pins and washers 11 from the holes in the shield. No special fastening members are used. The friction produced by the pivotal connections is readily controlled by tightening or loosening the knobs on the pins, and will not be altered by shield movements.

According to the provisions of the patent statutes, I have explained the principle of my invention and have illustrated and described what I now consider to represent its best embodiment. However, I desire to have it understood that, within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically illustrated and described.

I claim:

1. In a detachable connection of the character described, a bracket having an inner end adapted to be secured to the outside of a headgear, the bracket being provided with a socket that opens both upwardly and at its outer end, a stationary plug removably seated in the socket and projecting from its outer end, a pin rotatably mounted in the plug and projecting from its outer end and having a head limiting the movement of the pin outward through the plug, a friction member slidingly mounted on the pin in engagement with the outer end of the adjoining plug, the pin-engaging surface of the friction member and the adjoining surface of the pin being shaped to hold the friction member and pin together for rotation as a single unit only, the friction member being formed for connection in fixed position to one side of a shield straddling the front of the headgear, and a knob screwed onto the outer end of said pin and adapted to press the shield against said friction member to press the latter against said plug and thereby restrain turning of the friction member, the friction member and pin and knob necessarily rotating in unison whenever the shield is swung upward.

2. In a detachable connection of the character described, a bracket having an inner end adapted to be secured to the outside of a headgear, the bracket being provided with a socket that opens both upwardly and at its outer end, a stationary plug removably seated in the socket and projecting from its outer end, the plug and bracket being provided with abutting surfaces limiting movement of the plug outward relative to the socket, a pin rotatably mounted in the plug and projecting from its outer end and having a head limiting movement of the pin outward through the plug, a friction member having a polygonal opening therethrough and slidingly mounted on the pin in engagement with the outer end of the adjoining plug, the pin having a polygonal portion of the same shape as said opening fitting in the surrounding A friction member, the friction member having an outwardly projecting polygonal portion adapted to fit an opening of the same shape in one side of a shield straddling the front of the headgear, a knob screwed onto the outer end of said pin and adapted to press the shield against said friction member to press the latter against said plug and thereby restrain turning of the friction member by the shield.

3. The combination recited in claim 1, in which the upper portions of the side walls of the bracket socket have near the top of the plug opposed inwardly projecting portions separated by a space slightly narrower than the underlying portion of the plug in the socket, and said bracket has SllfilClCtHll flexibility to allow the plug to be forced up between said projecting portions to remove the plug from the socket.

4. The combination recited in claim 2, in which the bracket socket is provided at opposite sides with upright shoulders facing the inner end of the bracket, and said plug is provided with outwardly facing shoulders engaging the bracket shoulders to prevent the plug from moving outward in the socket.

5. The combination recited in claim 1, in which the inner end portion of the socket has substantially parallel sides, the lower portion of the rest of the socket has a cylindrical wall extending about 240, said plug con forms to the shape of the socket, and said bracket has sufficient flexibility to allow the plug to be removed upwardly from the socket.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 305,570 Maldaner Nov. 28, 1905 2,718,006 Bowers Sept. 20, 1955 2,788,558 Bowers Apr. 16, 1957 2,801,420 Malcom Aug. 6, 1957 2,859,710 Elsner Nov. 11, 1958 

